Even the Middle East’s favourite home-grown parody site, the Pan Arabia Enquirer, got in the action, deftly skewering the Facebook updates and tweets from UAE residents adamant that the sand dunes of Abu Dhabi commanded the starring role in the new teaser. This triggered everything from frame by frame breakdowns by respectable newspapers, to a deluge of parodies (the Lego version is a favourite while the George Lucas version will appeal to geeks). The teaser trailer hit our screens a full year before the movie itself is scheduled to be released. Revitalised under the helm of JJ Abrams (Lost, the Star Trek reboots) and in the hands of Disney, the new movie is building its hype very early indeed. It’s almost four decades since George Lucas redefined blockbuster cinema with the original Star Wars – and despite his own attempts to undermine his legacy with a trio of poorly conceived prequels – the juggernaut shows no sign of slowing down. The buzz on the internet surrounding the new Star Wars trailer is showing that the franchise is assuredly a force to outmatch cat videos or even Kim Kardashian. What’s surprising is that it was just one and a half minutes long. Unless you were stuck out in the far reaches of the solar system, you’ll have noticed that the biggest cinema event of 2014 was released over the Thanksgiving weekend. With Abu Dhabi locations taking centre stage in the latest trailer, can we expect fairer treatment for the region? Earlier Star Wars movies are noted for dramatic Middle East locations, but they contained some rather unpleasant regional cliches.

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